Fifty years ago, a svelte, sultry Brooklynite named Lainie Kazan rose to national attention understudying Barbra Streisand in the Broadway musical, Funny Girl. Over time, she grew more zaftig, but she still is a singer to be reckoned with and she has made her mark in films as the archetypal Jewish mother. She will be recognized for the latter on Thursday at the Donald M. … [Read more...]